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Wednesday is #SpiritDay - How You Can Go Purple

GLAAD is proud to support Spirit Day, a day to honor those young people we've lost to anti-gay bullying and bullying-related suicide and a day to rally behind the countless young people who are struggling with these issues every day. Check out GLAAD's Spirit Day page at www.glaad.org/spiritday.

GLAAD reached out to Facebook on October 6 immediately after we were alerted to the violent images and hateful comments posted to the event page. Facebook responded that they would begin to monitor the page closely for violations of their terms of service. At that point, almost 100,000 Facebook users responded that they will “attend” this event. Two weeks later, the event has over a million RSVPs. As the number of attendees on the event page grew, so did the number of incident reports sent to GLAAD regarding the hateful speech and images posted to the page. Check out this CNN video describing GLAAD's work with Facebook.

Now we are asking all of our supporters to participate in this important event.

The idea behind Spirit Day is a simple one, not dissimilar to the idea of "Spirit Week" held in many high schools, and can be summed up in three words: Everyone Rally Together.

The idea to wear purple on October 20 was first floated by teenager Brittany McMillan in early October as a way to honor the memories of the teenagers who had taken their own lives in recent weeks. But just as importantly, it's also a way to show the hundreds of thousands of LGBT teens who face the same pressures and who are victims of the same types of bullying and harassment that there is a vast community of people out here who love them and care about them. Purple symbolizes 'spirit' on the rainbow flag, a symbol for LGBT Pride that was created by Gilbert Baker in 1978.

As one of the event's Facebook page says: "This event is not a seminar nor is it a rally. There is NO meeting place. All you have to do is wear purple."

Wearing purple on October 20 is a simple way to show the world that you stand by these courageous young people and a simple way to stand UP to the bullies. Remember those lives we've tragically lost, and show your solidarity with those who are still fighting. Everyone Rally Together.

About GLAAD

GLAAD rewrites the script for LGBT acceptance. As a dynamic media force, GLAAD tackles tough issues to shape the narrative and provoke dialogue that leads to cultural change. GLAAD protects all that has been accomplished and creates a world where everyone can live the life they love.more about GLAAD >>